Tax Information

The staff at International Student Services understands that the tax filing process is confusing, so we are here to help! Filing your taxes correctly is very important because failure to do so can affect your future visa and/or status requests in the U.S. ISS provides limited income tax assistance for international students and their dependents. This assistance includes workshops, tax filing software (SPRINTAX), tax appointments, and more. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and information.

We HIGHLY recommends that you review our Income Tax Basics presentation in order to have a general understanding of how the tax process works in the U.S. Most of the tax questions we receive are addressed in this presentation which includes much useful information. Click the links listed below for details!

ALL nonimmigrant international F-1 or J-1 students and their dependents who were nonresident aliens for tax purposes and were present in the U.S. during any part of the calendar year are personally responsible for filing tax forms to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Filing tax forms is required even if you and your dependents did not work, gain income or receive a taxable scholarship or fellowship in the U.S. during the tax year. Many of our international students at Texas A&M University are considered nonresidents for tax purposes. International Student Services (ISS) purchases tax software each tax year to assist our students who are non-residents for tax purposes with filing the correct forms. Once again we have purchased Sprintax for tax year 2017.

If you are going to work and be paid by Texas A&M University (student employment or assistant-ship), TAMU will need to determine how much in federal taxes should be wiithheld from your salary. In order to do this, you need to be sure to process your employment, scholarship, and fellowship information through the GLACIER System. GLACIER will assist your payroll office in determining your tax residency, and in properly applying any tax treaty benefits you may be eligible for.

Please do not confuse GLACIER through the payroll offices with SPRINTAX which is administered by ISS.

Very important!

Most international students in F-1 and J-1 status and their F-2/J-2 dependents DO have to file a tax form with the U.S. government for each tax year they are in the U.S. regardless of whether they earned any income; and

Most international students are NOT PERMITTED to submit their tax returns online;

Most international students should NOT utilize outside tax preparation services found in the community.

Each spring, ISS purchases tax software called SPRINTAX in order to help international students determine their tax residency status and to file their tax return. Sprintax is NOT the same as the Glacier Nonresident Alien Tax Compliance System (https://www.online-tax.net/glogin.asp) administered through Texas A&M’s Payroll Services. For details about the differences in these two systems, review the Income Tax Basics presentation linked above.